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Scientists monitoring wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something exceedingly rare this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not genetically her own.

The five-year-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the annual polar bear migration along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an area renowned for its polar bear population.

"It's unusual," remarked a researcher with a polar bear conservation group. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.

The mother bear was initially tagged as she came out from her birthing den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which researchers tagged for research.

In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the original cub and a second that was untagged. Scientists are uncertain what happened to the new cub's birth mother, but they are trying to identify her using genetic samples.

"The bears need every advantage they can get in the current era with a warming climate," noted a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance to take in an additional youngster and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of living into adulthood, but having a maternal figure caring for them improves their chances.

The young bears are reported as in good condition, according to experts, and they will probably stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Next, the bear family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother bear how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the animals are caring for each other," concluded the scientist.